Ah, the good old days, back in April, when people used quaintly to think the Lib Dems could promise just anything in their manifesto, because they were never going to get into power anyway. Well, the coalition power-grab has shown those cynics how wrong they were, hasn't it? Everybody will be voting Lib Dem next time. It's a triumph. Or maybe not . . .

Still, one mustn't be too disappointed. Sorting out giant problems is indeed more difficult than making promises you think you will never have to keep. Labour commissioned Lord Browne's report into higher education funding, now so beloved of the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, and the truth is that it makes some sense, given the rotten circumstances. I suppose we should be soothed to see all three major parties in broad agreement. That's the sort of grown-up politics the electorate is crying out for, after all. Apparently.